peaches and creamy

pure as the driven soap

I dress my baby in beige and white. Yup. I am that person. I even occasionally take her outside in beige or white (and yes, after Labor Day). So why do I think I can get away with something so daring? Well, I do own a large container of Oxy Clean, and often do 24-hour pre-soaks. But beside my amazing skills as a laundress and stain-fighter, I am just reminded of fuzzy little bunnies, or fluffy kittens, or anything soft and downy. And I want my baby to be that sweet and innocent and cuddly for just a few more months. I know there's not much time left. Soon she'll be fully mobile, and we'll be in the park covered with dirt. Or she'll find Papa's charcoals, or Mama's nail polish. But for a few more weeks, she'll just be a little dusty, perhaps spilling some sweet potato or peaches on her collar. And I can have my polar bear baby as clean as pure as ever with the help of a Tide stain stick, and nothing more.

still mama's smitten kitten

HOT part 1

a Star Wars band-aid on her right thigh is the only accessory donned today.

Con Ed asked us to conserve energy in this heat wave.  At temperatures over 100, that means no tv, no computer, no laundry, and no walks.  Additionally, that means it's very hard to get dressed.  Babies are very sensitive to heat, and avoiding heat rash (which doesn't seem to bother Lil at all) is next to impossible.  Just like grown-up fashion at the height of summer, baby wear also needs to be lightweight, comfortable, tasteful, and above all, adorable.

This little bodysuit is from Ralph Lauren.  The polo collar and ruffle detail mean that Lil doesn't need  to wear much else to pull of her signature style.  A wide brim hat, perhaps, if we had ventured out.  And a long, cool glass of lemonade.

Woolie-Boolie

 

Lil doesn't wear many pants because she's got those fluffy cloth diapers padding her backside.  She can't fit into most pants her size with that big bum.  I am fine with her wearing dresses all the time, but there are a couple staples every girl needs in her wardrobe.  For one thing, I can't live without a good pair of white pants for the spring and summer.  The ones Lil is wearing are actually wool interlock diaper covers. Yup, that's right.  It's like taking long johns to the next level: ugly underwear transformed into cute outwear.  These are from Green Sprout Baby, a mother-daughter diaper crafting team in Long Island.  I know, we're going into summer, she's a growing baby, blah blah blah.  But when you consider all of the good things about covering your baby in little lambs, you'll understand why I'm turning Lil into Lil Bo-Peep: 

• Wool is an all-natural, renewable material.
• It's soft and breathable
• It's super absorbent, anti-microbial, and
• Wool helps regulate body temperature, so it's good any time of year.

So there you have it.  And like everything Lil wears, when it's done right, it looks good.  I'm sure these are just the first in a "longie" line of woolies for Lil.

smocked embroidered top from Baby Gap

lambskin booties from Kina

winter white cures our winter blues

I've always loved the look of natural shades from head to toe, but it never looked quite right on me.  I guess I'm just too pale.  Maybe if I had that baby pink tone that Lil has, it would look as good on me as it does on her!  

 

Today Lil sported a polka-dotted velour bubble dress and some spring-striped Baby Legs.  I added her puppy booties because despite how spring-time Lil may look, the temps still say winter.  Sadly, her little dogs are too big for those puppy socks, so they'll be laundered and shipped out to her new cousin.  The jasmine-filled nights in the hills above Santa Cruz still call for cozy footwear, so I'm glad they'll live to bark another day.

Little pups for my pup. Enjoy, Cousin Liam!

baby has the winter blues...

When you become desperate for spring- and you grow over an inch each month- you're allowed to break all the fashion rules.  We're not waiting for Memorial Day to don summer hues!